The subject invention is directed toward the fastener art and, more particularly, to blind push-in type fasteners that can be released and reused.
The invention is especially well suited for incorporation into motor vehicle interior components and will be described with particular reference thereto; however, the invention is capable of broader application and can be used for a wide variety of purposes in many environments.
Push-in, molded plastic fasteners are commonly used in the automotive industry for mounting various types of components to body panels and frame members. In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,545, there is disclosed a fastener assembly that can be integrally incorporated into an associated component for providing releasable mounting of the component to a body panel. The preferred form of the fastener assembly comprises spaced resilient latch legs that extend from the component to be mounted. The legs can be deflected toward and away from one another to allow their positioning in a mounting opening in a body panel or frame. After the latch legs are in the panel, a rigid pin is inserted between the legs to maintain them locked in the mounting opening. Components such as sun visor clips, coat hooks, and assist straps or handles can be mounted using this type of fastener.
These types of components are generally mounted at locations wherein they overlie a layer of resilient headliner material. Thus, the locking legs extend through aligned openings in both the headliner and the body panel. Installation of the headliner is typically effected prior to installation of the associated components. Installation of the fastener into blind panel openings, however, requires precise alignment of the locking legs with respect to the opening. It is critical to maintain alignment in order to prevent the legs from deflecting away from one another and not entering the opening properly.
In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,098, a fastener assembly is provided to facilitate installation of the headliner and the associated components by allowing the component and the fastener to be preassembled into the headliner so that both the headliner and the component can be installed in the vehicle simultaneously as a unit. The fastener assembly taught there includes resilient latch legs that extend from the fastener body and are adapted to engage in a panel opening. The legs include resilient spring fingers that permit the assembly to be preassembled to a headliner prior to the time that the vehicle component and the headliner are joined to the panel.
The preconnection of the fastener assembly to the headliner makes it extremely difficult to align the latch legs with the panel opening because the bulky nature of the headliner prevents, in most cases, a clear and unobstructed view of the opening therebehind. In the event that an assembler attempts to insert the latch legs of the above fastener assembly into a panel opening while the two are misaligned, it is common that only one or neither of the latch legs actually penetrate through the opening in the panel. The remaining legs are typically deflected away from the other and bent into an ineffective position between the headliner and the vehicle body.